A/N: It's not the end:) I know I said it was going to be but as I've been writing this epilogue it's turned out longer than I expected and as most of you requested that I not end it yet, what I've done is split the epilogue into parts so there will be about two more updates after this.

A/N 2: The format of the epilogue is that each part focuses on what happened to a couple after we left them in the last chapter, first through Haley's thoughts and then through a flashback. This first part is about Brucas, and it's for lucasscottlover1 who wanted more Lucas.

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue Part 1

11 years later…

Haley looked at the people sitting around her and smiled. Actually, she had been smiling ever since she had woken up and was still wondering when Brooke would call her on it. Despite their differences, she and Brooke had become best friends since that day on their first grade trip when Brooke had stood up for Haley. It was a strange mix since Brooke was extremely outgoing and Haley liked to keep mostly to herself, but even through high school when Tigger joined the cheerleading squad and Tutor-girl had started…well, tutoring, they stayed close. Their friendship had ended up putting Haley in a lot of awkward positions when Brooke had started a relationship with Haley's other best friend, Lucas.

In junior high Lucas and Brooke had started dating, but Brooke, maintaining that she wanted to keep her options open, would only date non-exclusively. Lucas had given in despite his immense jealousy whenever she dated other guys and had for the most part been a pretty good sport, but when they became sophomores in high school he had had enough and gave Brooke an ultimatum. Either they were exclusive or they were over. Much to Lucas' dismay, Brooke had taken the easy way out and ended the relationship. Lucas had been further hurt when only a few weeks later Brooke had hooked up with new student Felix. Haley had continually tried to get Lucas and Brooke back together, as had Nathan (after being forced by Haley to help), but to no avail and Lucas had 'moved on' as well. Of course, they all knew better.

Flashback:

"Goodnight baby," Rachel sing-songed over the phone.

Lucas did his best not to cringe at her sugary voice, even though she couldn't see him. "Goodnight, Rachel," he replied before hanging up.

Rachel was his girlfriend of the past two months. She was fun and there was no doubt she was hot and unlike some people when she dated someone she wasn't interested in going out with other guys at the same time, but Lucas could finally admit to himself that he wasn't attracted to her. He wouldn't admit why he didn't like her – because that would just lead to a whole other arena of heartbreak that he didn't want to return to – but he didn't like her and he knew it was way past time to break up with her. Summer was nearly over and senior year would be starting in two days time and he figured it would be better to break up with her before that.

The sound of a small bump outside his room door interrupted Lucas' thoughts. At first he thought he may have imagined it since there wasn't a second knock on the door. However, it was soon followed by the sound of something hitting the wood outside and the bushes rustling. Lucas quickly got up off his bed and went outside, not noticing the small box that had been placed outside his door. His attention was captured by the foot that was stuck in his railing.

"Are you okay?" he called to the person he couldn't see since their body was covered by the bushes.

"Mmhmm."

"Hang on a second, I've got you." He carefully managed to get the foot from out of the railing, but was trying to gently lower the leg down so the person in the bush didn't suddenly fall and hurt themselves. As he was holding on their ankle the bottom of their jeans started to rise and their sock was revealed to him. "Brooke!" he exclaimed and dropped her leg like a hot potato.

"Ow!"

"Oh god! I'm sorry." He quickly ran down into the garden and saw his ex-girlfriend rubbing her head and trying to sit up properly. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"It's okay. How did you know it was me?" she asked as he sat down on the grass beside her.

"You're wearing your hot pink 'Hello Kitty' socks."

"Oh."

"So, um…what are you doing here Brooke?"

She quickly looked away. "Um, nothing."

"Brooke your foot got caught in my railing which means you would have walked up there, so…did you knock on my door?"

"No! Lucas, I wasn't coming to see you," she told him truthfully. "I'm just gonna go." She tried to stand up, but then felt a throbbing pain when she tried to put her weight on the foot that had got caught in the railing.

Noticing Brooke's imbalance Lucas immediately went to help her stand up. Placing her arm on his shoulder so he was supporting her, he said, "There should be some ice inside."

"N-no, it's okay. I can go home."

"Brooke you can barely stand on your own. Now come inside." Without allowing her room for argument Lucas helped her hobble back up the steps. On their way there he observed the box that had past his attention on his way out.

"What?" she asked him, noticing him craning his head to the side.

He just shook his head without answering and took her inside. He sat her down on the bed before going to the kitchen to get an ice pack. Upon returning he found Brooke waiting for him, uncomfortably glancing around the room. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said softly and positioned it on her ankle. Brooke saw Lucas walk to his back door but, thinking he was just going to close it, didn't think anything of it.

However, he went outside and picked up the box that was there. He lifted the lid and found it was full of letters, far more than fifty of them, and they were all addressed to him. He took the first one out and recognized the handwriting. "Brooke," he realized.

"Yes?" she called.

He looked up suddenly, not realizing he had said her name out loud. He walked back inside, holding the box in his hands. "Did you keep this here?"

Brooke slowly nodded, realizing he already knew they were from her anyway.

Lucas stayed silent for a while, thoughts whirling through his head. Then, he finally asked, "How many letters are there here?"

"82.I-I wrote them all this summer. One a day."

"Where you ever gonna give them to me?"

"I just did, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you came here to leave these outside and then run away. Why?"

"I should probably just go," she replied, and tried to stand up.

"And run away again?" Lucas was getting angry. "That's all you ever do with us."

"What do you want from me Lucas?" Brooke practically yelled.

"I want you to stop being a coward and tell me the truth!"

"Lucas, I'm sorry I hurt you, alright? I was just scared!"

"Of what?" he yelled back.

"Of you! And us! And…the way I feel about you." Now, her anger was gone, and all Brooke felt was sadness. "I shouldn't have expected you to wait around for me forever. It wouldn't have been fair to you. You have Rachel now, and you guys can be happy together. And if she's not the one then I hope you find a great girl this year or when you go to college. But just know that no matter who I was with, I always loved you."

The pain in her ankle was lessened now, and all the feeling gone out of her after her outburst. She stood up and managed to waddle on her own to the door.

"She's not the one."

"Huh?" Brooke turned around at Lucas' quiet admission.

"Rachel. She's not the one."

"Okay…"

"You are." And with that, Lucas dropped the box in his hands and kissed her.

End Flashback